Safe vehicle operation on public roads generally requires the vehicle operator to be fully aware of his or her surroundings. In addition to forward vision, the operator should also be aware of activity behind him or her. For example, if the operator desires to change lanes, then rearward vision is necessary to confirm that there are no overtaking vehicles in the desired lane. Rearward vision can also be useful to alert the operator as to vehicles wishing to pass, such as overtaking emergency vehicles.
Motorcycle riders generally rely on two common methods of providing rearward vision. The first method involves the use of mirrors which typically extend outwardly from a forward portion of the motorcycle, such as the handlebars or fairing. One shortcoming associated with this approach, however, is that the mirror may vibrate considerably at highway speeds resulting in a blurred or otherwise deceptive image. Another shortcoming associated with motorcycle mirrors is that they typically provide only a limited field of view, and may have blind spots in critical areas. A further disadvantage of motorcycle mirrors is that they may be positioned well to the side of the rider's forward field of view, or, conversely, positioned inward such that the view is obstructed by the rider's arms, shoulders, or a passenger. This requires the driver to momentarily take his or her eyes off the road and look over his/her shoulder.
A second method of providing rearward vision is for the operator to simply turn and look over his or her shoulder. While often necessary and efficient, this approach also suffers the drawback of requiring the operator to momentarily take his or her eyes off of the road ahead. In addition, this method has the further drawback of requiring the operator to turn his upper torso and rotate his shoulders rearward. This bodyweight shift can upset the balance of the motorcycle and cause it to momentarily move off of a desired line of travel.
There is at least one known system for use with a motorcycle that includes a display screen positionable on a forward portion of the motorcycle and a camera directed rearward from the motorcycle. This system is called the “cyclemirrorcam,” and is manufactured and/or sold by Ranquel Engineering, Inc., of 3701 Alcantara Avenue, Miami, Fla. 33178. The cyclemirrorcam is, apparently, capable of displaying a rearward image on the display screen while the motorcycle is underway. The cyclemirrorcam product, however, has a number of shortcomings. For example, the image provided on the display screen may lack an adequate depth of field. Further shortcomings may include the inability to adjust for changes in ambient lighting (creating problems at night), and the sensitivity of the product to water.